Who are the Joneses? is a blog that goes against the typical American ideal that more is better. Reducing clutter, buying less, and saving money (gasp!) is what the cool kids do.

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

It's about time!

Last week, my mom announced to me that she and my dad were going to finally take their finances seriously. Well, it's about time Mom! You're only 56 and Dad's 58, I think you should take them seriously!

Now don't get me wrong, my parents aren't ignorant or stupid people, they just are spenders. They've always made good money and they just like to buy things, and well, they have taste. Taste doesn't come cheap. Lucky for them, they have impeccable credit so my parents can generally get whatever they want whenever they want it.

$20,000 for a new electric fence for the driveway? No problem.

$15,000 for a new driveway? No sweat.

$5,000 for a slab of granite for the new countertop? Eh, whatever.

You know it's bad when I told my mom I was going to be debt-free next month and she says laughing, "Good for you honey, I don't know where you get it from, it's not our family's way!"

Well, how do you tell your mom that you've watched them and their spending habits and the errors that they've made in their spending for the past 26 years and you know what not to do? I guess I could be thankful for that!

Now on the upside, I'm also grateful that my Dad taught me to be generous and give to charity and those less fortunate. My Dad is a giver. Always has been. He would give a stranger the shirt off of his back if he had to (I'm sure he probably has!). I don't fully remember the details but in Christmas 2007, he met a woman (a complete stranger) who was stranded at work or at a bus stop on a cold night who didn't have a ride home. So, my Dad being my Dad, gave her a ride home. On their way to her house, she was explaining her family situation and told my Dad that she was having a difficult time providing Christmas for her family. (Something like she was laid off her full-time job and had to get a part-time job, etc). He wrote down her address went out and spent a couple hundred dollars and delivered some gift cards to this family so that they wouldn't go without. They were extremely grateful, you could see it on their faces. But hey, that's my Dad; always looking out for people. :)